Women-Led Incubator in Mozambique Boosts Small Business

As a child, Aida would ride a ferry with her mother, taking cakes to their market stall in the city of Matutuine, a remote district at the southern tip of Mozambique.

But as her mother’s health declined, Aida and her siblings worked to keep the business going, baking, packaging, and selling the cakes themselves to support her family.

“The challenges we faced every day with my mother’s health struggles made us realize we couldn't just stand still,” Aida told iDE in December.

To make ends meet, the young entrepreneur also started another business, decorating for events including weddings, birthdays and church baptisms. But because her time was short, she found it hard to attract enough clients and expand her business.

That’s when she became involved with iDE’s SHE business incubator program, which is designed to grow women-led businesses, addressing the structural barriers women face like limited access to finance and business training.

The program was launched in Cambodia a decade ago and is now being implemented in six countries across Asia and Africa, helping women build businesses, creating positive impact for themselves, their families and communities.

Originally a separate organization, SHE integrated with iDE in 2024. To date, SHE has worked with more than 2,500 women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises across its operating countries.

In Mozambique, SHE trainers tailored the program to fit the local context, where many women run small, informal businesses to support their households, earning what staff describe as “pocket money” rather than building for growth.

Lina Henao, iDE Mozambique’s programs and impact director, said local women have less access to the financial tools they need to start a business.

“In Mozambique, most of the small and micro businesses are run by women, but they're the ones that have less access to finance, to knowledge, to tools, and to networks that can help their businesses grow,” said Henao.

“The program is very practical, it goes beyond theory, and equips entrepreneurs with the special skills they need to scale in Mozambique."

The Mozambique incubator trained nine small business women in 2025. At the end of the program, participants reported an average of 43 percent in revenue increases in their businesses.

“All the businesses have a social impact,” said Henao. “It’s not only about making a profit and making a business, it’s about empowering a woman and her business so it grows and it has a ripple effect in their communities through food security, education, and health.”

SHE’s curriculum combines practical business skills with financial literacy, peer support, and confidence-building. At graduation, each participant presented her business to a panel of judges, explaining her products, outlining costs and operations, and answering questions about growth.